


The Game

by itsnotaboutlove



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:53:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5812810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotaboutlove/pseuds/itsnotaboutlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's a game they want to play, darling girl. They've got their board set and pieces are ready to move- always have been. The question is... are you ready for it?" Sequel to The Passage of Time</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And.... I'm back! I've been quite busy, starting a new job and working on stories for other fandoms. But I'm back! Hope you didn't miss me too much! :P

The door slammed open, hitting the wall with a bang; the echo lasting more than a few seconds. A man stormed through the doorway, breezing past two gentlemen standing by the kitchen counter, preparing dinner for that evening. A few seconds later, another man came through; this time, he was accompanied by a young woman.

"What did you do now?" the man asked, as they followed the other down the hallway.

"I didn't do anything!" the woman insisted, holding up the front of her skirts to keep up. "I honestly don't know how you men think! Do you always have to start fights and try to outdo the other?"

The sound of banging and items being tossed about, rang out through the main floor of the house. "Oh for heaven's sake!" the woman huffed, pushing past her partner. "When I get my hands on him…"

A few seconds later, the woman's shouting could be heard. "CHRISTOPHER PIKE! I DEMAND THAT YOU PUT THAT BOTTLE OF BRANDY DOWN!"

Jim snorted from the hallway, taking his time to enter the library. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, spotting Scotty and Pavel coming out of the kitchen. "What's all the fuss about?" Scotty asked, holding a dishcloth in his hands. "And why did Pike come storming in like a banshee?"

"Lovers quarrel," Jim shrugged, as both men nodded; clearly understanding what was occurring between Christopher and Lavinia.

"I SAID, PUT IT DOWN!" Lavinia shrieked, before the sound of glass breaking echoed in the hallway.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Pavel asked, looking from Scotty to Jim. "I mean, what if he…"

Jim snorted, "What? Hurts her?" he asked, as Pavel nodded. "Pike wouldn't harm a red hair on her pretty little head."

Scotty chuckled, "The lass would hurt him instead," he said, slapping the young man on the shoulder. "Give 'em an hour and they'll be fine! Now, shall we head back into the kitchen? I have a sandwich that needs to be finished!"

......................

Lavinia managed to knock the bottle of brandy out of Christopher's hand, before grabbing his arm. She practically dragged him across the hall, glaring at Jim and the others, before pulling Christopher inside the room; she managed to slam the door hard enough, cracking some of the wood near the hinges. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" she snapped turning to face him. "We could've been caught!"

Christopher turned to look at her, "You were kissing him!" he shouted.

"I thought it was you!" she yelled, shaking her head. "You said that he wouldn't be at the goddamn party and he was!"

Earlier, after weeks of preparation, the two of them plus Jim, had traveled to Southern France; 1910 to be exact. After Phil's murder and the declaration of war on Starfleet, everyone was on edge. Hours were spent doing research and plotting attacks on Starfleet's every move; Jim's hacking skills along with Pavel's were beneficial to each mapped out time jump. So when Christopher decided to take the identity of the aide to London's top banker, no one expected for the real Mr. Davis to show up.

"Oh come on!" Christopher scoffed. "If it were me, you would've known! Each disguise is made so that the only people to see the real identity are those who have the same program on themselves!"

Lavinia rolled her eyes, "It doesn't help when you tell me to act the part!" she snapped. "Make sure you don't draw any attention to yourself, Lavinia! Blend in with the others, Lavinia! Don't screw the goddamn mission up, Lavinia!"

Christopher shook his head, "This is why I don't like you traveling! You're always getting caught in the middle of chaos!"

She gasped, "WELL WHO ELSE WOULD GO AS YOUR GODDAMN MISTRESS!?" she screeched. "It's not MY fault that you picked a disgusting, poor excuse of a man, who cheats on his wife OPENLY for all to see!" He stopped to stare at her, watching as she continued to rant. "I don't like traveling with you either! You're so goddamn bossy and you pick the WORST places to go! It's either raining or I have to listen to one ridiculous, vile, attempt to a pick up line!"

"You were drinking too much," Christopher said. "I saw you taking glass after glass from the servants."

She rolled her eyes, " What else was I supposed to do?" she asked. "You told me to stand around and mingle! As if I had anything in common with those people to begin with!"

When Christopher started chuckling, Lavinia turned to look at him. "What is so funny?" she asked. "I don't see how you storming through the house like a wild boar, could be so funny."

Christopher took three long steps across the room, standing before her in an instant. "Do you realize how lovely you are when you're mad?" he asked, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, I didn't get a chance to tell you how beautiful you looked this evening."

Lavinia rolled her eyes, "Now you want to talk about how beautiful I am?" she asked, earning a nod from him. "You're unbelievable!" she shook her head.

"But you still love me. No?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"How lucky of me," she said quietly, before kissing him. "How very lucky of me."

........................

"So," Jim looked up from his plate. "Did she finally kill him or are they going at it like rabbits?"

Pavel blushed, while Scotty snickered. "Ah bet yeh 20 pounds, that they're going at it!" he said, slapping his hand down against the worn table. 

"Can we not talk about them like this?" Pavel groaned. "Miss Lavinia isn't that kind of lady!"

Jim and Scotty laughed, "Not that kind of lady?" Jim asked. "Pavel, they've been screwing for almost a year!" 

Almost four months after arriving to Bunker Bay, Lavinia and Christopher had changed. While everyone knew they were together, they could see the dramatic change between the couple. Adding in the death of Chris's closest friend and ally, it was clear to some that he had been taking out his frustrations against Lavinia. The worn out look they both possessed was equivalent to that of a couple who spent the entire evening having sex; there was no way the two of them stayed up all night playing chess. Christine also spent many hours, healing bruises that were left around her wrists and elsewhere, along with other aliments that came. 

" _He's taking advantage of you now_ ," Christine hissed, as Lavinia pulled her clothes back on. " _This is the third time this week that I've had to use the regenerator for vaginal tearing!"_

Lavinia, despite the ache that filled her, always defended his actions. " _We just got carried away again,"_ she insisted, shrugged half-heartedly. " _It's been an emotional time, Christine. For both of us."_

"Should we place bets for the unexpected pregnancy?" Jim asked, smiling innocently. "I mean.. at the rate they're going, they'll end up with a baby or two." 

Scotty choked on his drink, "Ah pray they are playing it safe!"

"Oh they are," Jim nodded. "Leonard probably has her signed up for the monthly shot!" 

Pavel rolled his eyes, "Sounds like your jealous," he said, picking up his glass of water. "Two couples under the same roof.. and you.. alone with your hand." 

"God, what I would give to have some physical action around this place...." Jim sighed, shaking his head."None of the local girls are doing it for me, which is upsetting. Their accents are so fucking hot."

Pavel groaned, "I'm going to finish my lunch up in my room," he said, standing up. "I really don't want to picture anyone having sex. Especially when I have to work with them all day long."

They watched, with amused grins, as Pavel scurried out of the kitchen with his dish. Jim then turned to face Scotty, a playful grin on his face. "So," he picked up his cup. "Will 300 credits suffice to the impending arrival of our holy savior?"

.......................

Lavinia tugged the sleeve of her dress back up, as she sat up from the floor. The lace and satin gown had been ripped open down the back, while the undergarments sat in a torn heap nearby. 

Behind her, Chris sat up and wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss against her shoulder blade. The long mass of curls, pulled from their neat up do, tickled his nose. "Are you alright?" he asked, as she sat quietly. 

"We can't keep doing this..." she replied, staring down at the floor. 

"What?" 

Chris moved to sit in front of her, taking in the lost look in her eyes. The exhaustion that lined her once pale face, which now took on a grey pallor, which matched with the dark circles under her eyes. "Lavinia..." he whispered, reaching up to cup her face. 

Lavinia looked up at him, "You've hurt me again," she said quietly. "I can't keep going back to Christine to fix what you've done."

"Let's go upstairs," Chris said, standing up. "Come.." 

Helping her up off the floor, Chris pulled the evening jacket that had been tossed over the back of a sofa, draping it over her shoulders. Quietly, they made their way out of the library and took the stairs up to their bedroom. Once inside, Chris led Lavinia to their bed and sat her down, before disappearing into the bathroom. The sound of the tap running for a bath, echoed out into the bedroom, and a few minutes later Chris came out to collect her. Tossing the destroyed gown to the floor, Chris unlaced the corset and added it to the pile along with her stockings. 

"Easy," Chris said, as Lavinia placed one foot into the scalding water. "I put some of your bath salts in..." 

She hissed as the hot water made contact with her aching body, once she was submerged up to her chin. "I'll get you some clothes to change into..." Chris nodded slowly, as he stepped out of the bathroom to give her some privacy.

Lavinia soaked beneath the fizzy water for almost and hour, before it went cold. Before she could open her mouth to call out, Chris returned with a fresh towel in hand. Easing out of the water, Lavinia allowed for herself to be wrapped up and brought back out into the bedroom.

"Do you.." Chris started, as she sat down on the edge of their bed. "Do you want me to fix you up? Or do you prefer Christine to come here?"

"Don't call her," Lavinia said, gently. "I can just take something for the pain and I'll be fine."

But Chris shook his head, "No, you said I've hurt you. So I'm going to fix what I've done to you," he said, grabbing the dermal regenerator that had been placed on the bed. "You can still take something for the pain, but it'll wear off after a few hours."

Not wanting to start a fight, Lavinia opened the towel and laid back onto the bed. She heard the initial beep, before she felt the tingling against her skin. The bruises that covered her hips and inner thighs went from dark purple to the natural shade of rosy pink. The imprint of fingers against her throat and arms were no longer visible, and the pain started to fade somewhat. 

"I have to..inside.."Chris said, somewhat uncomfortable. "Do you?" 

"It's okay," Lavinia said, as she placed her feet down on the mattress; her knees drawn up and and out. "Just.. go slowly. And make sure you don't lave it in too long, otherwise it'll burn and cause more damage." 

After several more minutes, Chris removed the dermal regenerator and helped Lavinia into her pajamas, before wiping the device down with an anti-bacterial solution. Tying her hair back into a braid, Lavinia crawled up to the pillows and slid under the blankets, watching as Chris went into the bathroom. Closing her eyes, Lavinia let out a deep sigh, as Chris got ready for bed. Exhaustion filled her, as the days worth of work and the aftermath, consumed her. The last four months had taken its toll on everyone, putting strains on relationships. 

"Do you want me to sleep downstairs?" 

Lavinia opened her eyes, startled at the sudden reappearance, turning to look at him. "No," she shook her head. 

Climbing under the blankets, Chris settled down next to her, putting some space between the two of them. After a brief moment on silence, he finally spoke. "I'm sorry," he said, quietly. "I've taken complete advantage of you and it's not right. You've been hurt far too many times by my actions." 

"I know you're sorry," Lavinia said, rolling onto her side to face him. "I just.. didn't know how to tell you. So I just kept quiet and let you.. cope with your feelings as you saw best." 

"This wasn't the best way to cope," Chris shook his head. "You're the last person I should be hurting, Lavinia." 

Lavinia scooted across the mattress, moving his arm out of the way, so that she could rest her head against his chest. Wrapping his arm around her, Chris rubbed his hand up and down her back, before leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

"I wish you would just talk to me about it," Lavinia finally said. "I tell you almost everything that I'm feeling, so why can't you?" 

Chris pulled her closer, to the point that she was nearly on top of him, before using his hand to smooth the hair against the back of her head. The move alone made Lavinia relax, as she closed her eyes and let herself go as she fell asleep. Listening to the steady breathing of the woman next to him, Chris lay wide awake and unable to sleep at that moment. 


	2. Chapter 2

Lavinia turned the spoon in her cup, while idly reading the paper. Near the stove, Scotty and Pavel made a racket, while they prepared to make lunch. With a sigh, Lavinia turned the page and scanned the day's weather report, which called for heavy rain and thunderstorms by later that afternoon. 

"Yeh sound depressed, love," Scotty said, as he set the frying pan down. "Why is a lovely lass like yeh, stuck inside with a'bunch of misfits like us?" 

"You want me to leave?" Lavinia asked, looking up at him. "I thought you liked my company, Scotty." 

He nodded, "Ah do," he said. "But not when yer sitting there looking all sad!" 

She shrugged, "Everyone else is too busy," she pouted. "And Christine's too busy in the lab to do anything!" 

Scotty rolled his eyes, "Why do yeh take a walk with this one here?" he suggested, nodding his head toward Pavel. "Ah can handle this all meself!" 

Pavel snorted, "Can you?" he asked, as he lowered the head on the burner. "Last time, you almost gave yourself third degree burns." 

Scotty glared at him, "Just take the lass out for a damn walk!" he snapped. "The two of yeh's shouldn't be locked inside all day!" 

With a shrug, Pavel wiped his hands off on a dishtowel and moved around the counter. "Shall we?" he asked, holding his hand out. "Before he changes his mind!" 

Lavinia nodded and took his hand, standing up from the chair. "We wont be gone too long," she promised, as they started towards the sliding door. "And try not to hurt yourself, Scotty!" 

Grumbling, Scotty waved to them, as they practically ran outside into the heat. "Kids..." he muttered, shaking his head. 

..................

"What do you think of this place?" Pavel asked, as they walked through the woods. 

Lavinia shrugged, "It's different," she said, stepping over a pile of stones. "I remember the woods being wet and dreary back in England. My parents had an estate in the countryside, just outside of London. All it ever did was rain in the winter, before the snow came...." 

Pavel nodded, helping her down a sloping hill. 'And they probably didn't have exotic flowers and strange bugs, huh?" he asked, making her laugh. 

"No, they didn't," she shook her head. 

The sound of a stream filled the early afternoon's air, making both teens smile. Taking off, they dodged tree branches and hopped over rocks and fallen logs, skidding to a halt as the stream appeared. 

"I love this place," Lavinia said, sighing. "It's so peaceful."

Sitting down under one of the shady trees, Lavinia and Pavel leaned back against the old tree trunk and watched, as the births swan dived into the stream. 

"How's Chris?" Pavel asked. "He doesn't talk much about..." 

Lavinia sighed, "Some days he's fine and then others..." she shook her head. "He hasn't told me anything about Phil, other than the fact that they were really good friends. And I'm afraid to ask him, because I don't want to upset him." 

"They were friends long before they started working for Starfleet," Pavel said. "Friends since childhood, if I remember correctly." 

"I wish that none of this ever happened," Lavinia said. "For all of you." 

The younger man shrugged, digging a stick into the dirt. "There are a lot of things I wish for," he said. "This job.. it's dangerous, Lavinia. Everyday we face the chance of dying or vanishing off the streets in some other time."

She nodded, as Pavel looked up at her. "Don't wait to live your life with Chris," he said suddenly. "Don't wait and then wonder of what could have been." 

He then took her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Don't let Starfleet win." 

....................

"Can I ask you something?" 

Chris turned his gaze from the ceiling to her, "Sure," he nodded, resting his arm up and behind his head. "What's on your mind?" 

Lavinia propped herself up on her elbows, tucking the sheet under her armpits. "Do.. do you still want to get married?" she asked, taking in the look of surprise on Chris' face. "I mean, do you still think about it?" 

He nodded, "Everyday," he admitted. "Do you?" 

"Everyday," she replied. "I mean, I know we were engaged or we still are...." 

"Do you want to get married?" he asked, rolling onto his side. "Or engaged?"

Lavinia shrugged, looking down at her hands; the left hand bare of any diamond ring, that once sat upon that finger. "I wouldn't mind being yours," she said quietly. 

Chris propped his head up with his hand, "You make it sound like I would own you," he frowned, reaching out to run his hand up and down her arm. "Marriages aren't what they once were, Lavinia. You would be your own person, making and voicing your own opinions and doing what you wanted. We would work together on housework and child rearing. I wouldn't force you to be seen and not heard, as men back in our time did." 

"So you would let me make up my mind about things?" Lavinia asked as he nodded. "So if I didn't want to cook dinner one night, you would do it?" 

"Well, you don't know how to cook," he pointed out. "I could teach you of course, but... maybe it's best if you left cooking to me." 

She rolled her eyes, nudging him with her foot. "Lavinia, you wouldn't be some pretty trophy wife, who bears children and plans parties for a living," he said, serious now. "You would be my wife, my partner in marriage. I wouldn't ignore you or your opinions, nor would I stop you from doing what you wanted. IF you wanted to go to school, go. Want to work? Do it."

"Compromise," Lavinia said, as he nodded. "Okay. I'd like that. Though... I kind of like it when you tell me what to do...." 

"There's always a time and place for that," he tsk'd. "But.. do you want to get married soon? Or a few years from now?" 

She shrugged, "I'd marry you tomorrow," she said. "The idea of waiting," she shook her head. "Anything could happen tomorrow, or even now, as we lay here. I'd hate myself forever, if I never got the chance because we waited. I've wanted to marry you since the first time we met, all those years ago. Still do." 

"Are you sure you want to marry me?" he teased. "I'm an old man." 

Lavinia scowled, pushing at him lightly. "Then that makes you a dirty old man," she snickered, as his fingers danced along her side. "I'd marry you regardless, Chris. And you're not that old." 

He huffed, "Feels like it," he sighed, as Lavinia nearly tackled him flat against the mattress. "So, we're getting married?" 

"We're getting married," Lavinia nodded. "Though, I do hope you ask me in a few days. The traditional way, that is." 

"I don't have a fancy ring lying around, you know," Chris pointed out, as she giggled. 

"I don't need a fancy ring," Lavinia said. "Just you." 

Chris nodded, "I promise you," he started. "I'm going to do everything I can, to keep you here with me. We're going to live the life, we were meant to live." 

She nodded, "I know," she replied, before leaning down to kiss him.   
  
Rolling over so that Lavinia was now laying down, Chris reached for the blankets with one hand, pulling them up to cover them both. Limbs intertwined, Lavinia rested her back against his chest, as he spooned behind her. Chris ran his hand up and down her bare torso, before moving over to her side and down her hip. 

"I love you," Lavinia whispered, as the motion lulled her to sleep. 

Chris wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a light squeeze, "I love you too." 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

"You do realize that you need to wear a bathin' suit," Leonard said, as Lavinia fixed the sheet on the ground. "How the hell are ya gonna swim around in a dress?" 

She scowled at  him, "I'm not one to show off my body in a tiny swimsuit," she said. "Besides, I don't plan swimming." 

Leonard rolled his eyes, "It's not like we haven't all seen a female body before," he said, shaking his head. "Except.. maybe Pavel hasn't, but it's not like we're going to go nuts over the sight of you in a bikini." 

"FISHIN' TIME!!!" JIm shouted, as he came out from the woods. 

Lavinia sighed and made her way over to him, watching as Chris and Scotty took their time, carrying fishing poles, tackle boxes and other things. 

"Let me," she said, taking the poles from Chris. "I take it that Jim likes to fish?" 

Scotty snorted, "Jim likes anything that has to do with water," he said. "Yeh think he was a fish." 

"Jim's going to be tied to a goddamn tree in two seconds," Chris grumbled. "He's gonna scare all the fish away, with his fat mouth." 

Jim turned around and grinned at him,' Hurry up, old man!" he shouted. "By the time you get a line in the water, the fish will be all gone!" 

Lavinia giggled as Chris grumbled, "I have food in the baskets under the tree,' she said. "Len and I whipped up sandwiches and there's lemonade and whatever else he threw in." 

"Yer magnificent, love," Scotty grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Chris, yer a lucky man!"

He then let go and quickly went down to the water's edge, leaving the couple standing on sandy surface. "I hope you brought sunscreen," Chris said, eyeing her bare shoulders. "Is that what you're wearing to go in the water?" 

"I'm not going in there," Lavinia scoffed, nodding her head towards the river. "I'll put my feet in, but that's all." 

Chris wrapped his arm around her waist. "How about you come in with me, and I'll let you cling to me like a remora?" 

She frowned, "What's a remora?" she asked.

"They're these fish that hang off of bigger fish," he shrugged. "Like sharks and whales. They consume their hosts leftovers and clean them by sucking the particles off them." 

"Ew!" she scowled, shaking her head. "That's disgusting!" 

He chuckled, "A lot of things are gross in the world," he agreed. "But really, I wouldn't let you go. And we wouldn't go out that far." 

Lavinia bit her lip, "I'll think about it," she finally said. "I trust you, I do. But after everything that's happened...." 

"You're still nervous," he nodded. "I understand and I wouldn't be mad if you decided not to." 

Chris stole a quick kiss, before heading down after the others. "I'm gonna help set up the poles with the others," he said. "You go and relax under the shade!" 

"Don't get to crazy!" she shouted after him. "And make sure you boys put sunscreen on!" 

"Yes Ma'am!" Chris waved at her, as he reached Leonard and Scotty. 

..........................

Two hours and five fish later, Lavinia finally made her way down to the water. By then, it was only Chris and Jim left at the water's edge, unsuccessfully catching fish. 

"I think they're all gone," Lavinia said, as Chris tossed the line back into the water. "How about you put those away and come have lunch?" 

"But Vinia!" they both whined, which was met with a stern glare. 

"Okay," Jim huffed, reeling in his line. "I could use some food anyways." 

Shoving the pole into the sand, Jim made his way up to the tree line, while Lavinia was left with Chris. 

"Let's go," she finally said. "Put the pole down and come eat. You're done for the day." 

"Just a little longer," he begged. "I know there's more fish out there!" 

Lavinia rolled her eyes and moved around to stand in front of him. "If you don't put that stupid thing down this instant, you can sleep on the couch for the next week!" she warned. 

He reeled the line in slowly, keeping his eyes on hers, until the hook dangled between them. "You're getting a little bold here, Lavinia," he said, sticking the pole next to Jim's. "I might have to punish you later." 

"How many blankets would you like when I make your bed up on the couch?" she asked, smiling innocently. "Lunch. Get up there. Now." 

Chris turned and made his way up to the picnic blanket, with Lavinia following close behind, smiling in victory the entire time. 

..................

"Wait, wait! This is a bad idea!" Lavinia yelped, as the water lapped against her knees. "I can't!" 

Chris turned and gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand gently. "You're doing great," he said. "As soon as the water hits your hips, I'll scoop you up." 

Giving some time to let the food settle, the boys quickly darted into the cold water and swam about. Christine had moved further down the river's shoreline with her towel, to lay out for a while, not wanting to be a target for mischief. 

"I don't know," she shook her head, watching as Jim and Scotty disappeared under the surface. "What if you drop me?" 

"I won't drop you," Chris promised, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'd never do that to you." 

Looking up at him, Lavinia let out a shaky breath. "Okay," she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. "But.. slowly." 

Chris nodded, "Slowly," he promised. "See, doesn't the water feel nice?" 

At thigh level now, the cold water lapped against her and made the bottom of her dress stick to her. "It's freezing," she gasped, as they moved a bit further in. 

"It'll warm up," he said. "Okay.. ready?" 

She nodded and Chris quickly pulled her further in, turning to face her as her feet left the bottom of the riverbank. Lavinia shrieked and splashed about, as Chris wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. 

"CHRIS!" 

"Shh, I've got you!" he insisted, as he held onto her. "I got you!" 

Lavinia whimpered, "Why'd you do that?" she asked, wrapping her legs around his waist. 

"Well, it was it was either pull you in or carry you," he shrugged. "Carrying you would've been harder to do." 

"Look who decided to join us!" Jim exclaimed with glee, as he swam by. "Havin' fun?" 

Lavinia scowled at him, "Don't you have other people to annoy," she asked, as he splashed her lightly. "JAMES!" 

"Jim, knock it off!" Chris sighed. "She doesn't like the water to begin with!" 

"Fine, fine!" Jim rolled his eyes, as he swam off. "I'll go bother Bones." 

Ducking under the surface, Lavinia rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Chris. "He's so annoying," she stated, as Leonard hollered somewhere in the distance. 

"That he is," Chris agreed, as they bobbed against the small current. "How do you feel?" 

"Tense," she grimaced. "Like at any moment I'll sink to the bottom." 

He nodded, "We'll just have to keep trying, is all," he said. "One day, you'll be able to get into a body of water and not have the fear of sinking to the bottom." 

Lavinia shuddered at the thought, "I honestly don't need to learn," she insited. "Society girls never needed the skills to swim, you know." 

"But you're not a society girl here," Chris pointed out. "They made little floats for kids, that go on their arms. I'll get you some of those and that'll keep you from sinking." 

She glared at him,"Put you in a stringy bikini or something," he continued. "Though, I may have a hard time keeping my hands off you." 

"Behave!" she giggled, as he kissed her shoulder; his hands moving from her hips to her waist. 

They floated around a while, nuzzling each other, as the others played. When the sun started to go down and the temperature dropped, Chris called it a day. Dragging themselves out of the water and onto shore, he quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Lavinia. 

"Let's get you back inside," Chris said, rubbing her shoulders to get some warmth into her. "You're shivering like crazy, Lavinia." 

"A b-ba-th?" Lavinia asked, her teeth chattering together. 

Chris nodded, "A hot bath and we'll sit down in front of the fire place," he promised, as they started up the path that would take them through the woods and to the house. "By then, the boys will be back and we'll put dinner together." 

Lavinia hummed, "Then sleep," she mumbled, clutching the towel tightly around her shoulders. "I c-could sleep for d-days." 

"Sleep as long as you want," Chris said, as they walked. "Let's hurry though, alright? I can't have you catching another cold again!" 


	4. Chapter 4

The firewood crackled as the flames consumed it, heating the entire bedroom up as the lone figure on the couch shivered. Wrapped in a bundle of flannel blankets, Lavinia burrowed deeper in her cocoon and mumbled a few choice words as she slept. 

Picking up the damp towels and swim clothes, Chris set them into the hamper, before turning his attention to the woman on the lounge chair on the other side of the room. After coming in from their day in the water, Chris managed to get the young woman in a hot shower, before dressing her to the nines in flannel. Emptying the top shelf of the closet of flannel blankets and shoving enough firewood in the fireplace, Lavinia was tucked in for a nap on the couch. 

While she slept, Chris showered and cleaned up their bedroom, putting new sheets and blankets on the bed; the heat had been turned up as well, as he took all measures to make sure Lavinia could fight off the chill that consumed her. He made a mental note to grab a vitamin booster from Leonard before dinner, hoping that it would kick start her immune system into battle. 

"Lavinia," he said gently, shaking her awake. "Sweetheart, it's time to wake up." 

She groaned, stretching out like a cat in the sun, before opening her eyes to look at him. "Hi," she gave him a sleepy smile. "What's wrong?" 

Chris shook his head, "Nothing's wrong," he said, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. "How are you feeling?" 

"Sleepy," she closed her eyes again. "Everything hurts too."

"It's been a long day for you, especially being out in the sun and in the water," he nodded. "You got a little sunburn too, but we've got stuff to help with the pain." 

Lavinia nodded, "Scotty and Hikaru are making dinner downstairs, so it'll be a while before it's done," he continued. "Do you want me to go down and get you something?" 

She shook her head, "Can you just stay with me for a while? she asked, opening her eyes again. "Until they call us down?" 

Chris nodded, "Of course," he nodded, as she scooted over for him to lay down next to her. Once he was comfortable, Lavinia curled herself up against him, warm and stated against his side. "Comfortable?" 

"Mmhmmm," she nodded, closing her eyes again. "You're very warm." 

He chuckled, "Probably not as warm as all those blankets," he said, tugging at the green and blue flannel blanket. "Aren't you sweating under all that?" 

Lavinia shook her head, "No,' she pouted, looking utterly adorable while doing so. "Maybe before bed, I could take a shot of that awful drink you boys like. The one that burns your nostrils and makes your chest feel like it's on fire." 

"Brandy?" he asked, as she nodded. "Everytime you drink that, you're miserable the next day. You'll have a cup of tea and I'll make sure the heat is up high enough for you." 

"You don't like having the heat on though," Lavinia whined. "Makes you all grumpy and you kick too much." 

Chris kissed her forehead, "I like you happy and comfortable," he stated. "So the heat will go up and you'll have a cup of tea and that's the end of it." 

Tilting her head back, Lavinia cracked open an eye and looked at him. "What about sex?" 

"Well! Miss Lavinia Rose!" Jim yelped, standing in the doorway of their bedroom. "Such foul language from a lady like you!" 

"Do you knock?" Chris asked, as Lavinia scoffed in annoyance. "I don't walk into your room without permission, do I?" 

Jim rolled his eyes, "I was sent up here to let you know that we've got more firewood downstairs by the back door," he said. "And dinner should be done in about twenty minutes. Unless you two plan on skipping dinner and going right to your night cap." 

"Get out," Chris shook his head, as the younger man cackled. "Before I tell Leonard you were complaining about having pain during bowel movements." 

Muttering, Jim stepped back into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him. "See what you started," Chris shook his head, as Lavinia looked at him. "I think tonight you'll go right to bed." 

"Noooooooo," she whined, wrapping her arms around him. 

"Yes," Chris nodded, as she whined. "You need a good nights wroth of sleep, that way you don't get another cold again. You'll thank me when you're not laying up in bed, coughing your lungs up." 

.........................

"Chris, stop it!" Lavinia whined, pressing her face into the pillow. "It's early!" 

"How do you know it's early?" he asked, kissing her shoulder. "Your eyes are closed." 

Lavinia grumbled as he continued. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading out with Hikaru and Jim," he said, as she squirmed underneath the blankets. "Len's in the lab with Christine doing inventory if you want to bother them." 

Lavinia rolled over and looked up at him, "Where are you going so early?" she asked, blinking furiously. "It's early." 

"It's a quarter to eight," he pointed out. 

"That's still early," Lavinia repeated. "Why not stay here with me? In bed." 

He sighed, "It's a mission," he told her. "Can't really postpone it, sweetheart." 

Lavinia sighed, "Fine," she muttered. "Go on and obsess over some ugly man, while I sleep in our bed. Alone. Wearing a silky nightgown." 

Chris snorted, "We should be back around noon," he promised. "And I can spend the rest of the day with you. In bed or not." 

"You better spend the day in bed with me," Lavinia pouted, as he kissed her. 

"I'll see you later," Chris said, as he stood up. "Get some more sleep." 

Lavinia quickly sat up, "Wait!" she said, as he turned to look at her. "C'here." 

Grabbing the sleeve of his jacket, Lavinia pulled him down for another kiss. "If you keep," he said between kisses, "doing that, I won't be able to leave." 

She smirked against his lips, "Isn't that the point?" she whispered, kissing him again. "Don't get yourself killed." 

"I won't," he promised. "I love you." 

"Love you, too," Lavinia sighed, kissing him one last time. 

Chris pulled the blankets up to cover her, once she laid back down, before getting up to head to the door. Lavinia watched as he turned back to give her a smile. "IF you need anything, you make sure to bother Len," he warned. "Pavel's updating the software and Scotty's tinkering around in the basement." 

Lavinia nodded, "I will," she said, as he opened the bedroom door. "Be good!" 

He laughed as he stepped out into the hallway, closing the door halfway behind him. With a sigh, Lavinia laid back against the pillows and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. As the sun slowly rose in the Eastern sky, Lavinia was still too tired to get up and start the day. A few extra hours of sleep wouldn't hurt, especially if rest was what she needed the most. She only hoped, as she snuggled under the blankets, that Chris would be home in due time. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

It was a little after noon, when Lavinia finally made her way downstairs to the kitchen, finding Scotty at the counter making lunch. 

"Where is everyone?" she asked, stepping up to the counter. "Chris said he'd be back by now, no?" 

Scotty shrugged, "Ah don't know, lass," he said. "Sometimes these things take a wee bit longer than expected. Ah'm sure they'll be back soon." 

She nodded, looking down at the marble countertop. "How about Ah make yeh some lunch and we talk about something interesting?" he suggested. "Something that doesn't make yeh look like yer gonna cry yer eyes out at any moment?" 

"Okay," Lavinia nodded. 

As Scotty prepared a second sandwich for her, Lavinia went to the fridge to get the pitcher of freshly made lemonade, and two glasses from the cabinet. 

"Yeh's went to bed early last night," Scotty said. "And lucky yeh did! Jimmy-boy thought it was a wise idea to irritate this snake that was on the lawn in the back."

"Oh no," Lavinia groaned, setting the pitcher and glasses down. "Did he get bit or something?" 

Scotty shook his head, "Luckily Hikaru managed to get the slimy bugger and tossed it into the woods," he shuddered. "Nasty lil' bastards, snakes are." 

Before she could reply, there was a loud shout from down the hall, followed by another. 

"What the bloody hell was that?" Scotty yelled, as they rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall to the transporter room. 

"CHRIS!" Lavinia screeched, as they rounded the corner, bursting into the room. "Oh my god!" 

Jim and HIkaru looked up as they came to a stop in the doorway, "GET BONES NOW!" Jim shouted, as Lavinia rushed forward. 

Scotty nodded and quickly ran off to find Leonard and Christine, while Lavinia began to shout at the others. 

"What happened?!" she demanded, as Chris groaned in pain. "JIM!" 

"We got caught, that's what happened!" he yelled, struggling under the weight of Chris, as he and Hikaru tried to keep him standing. "Fuck! Those sons of bitches started shooting at us and Chris got hit!" 

Just as he said the words, Lavinia moved the blood soaked jacket back and off his shoulder, exposing the bright red blood stain spreading at his shoulder. At that moment, Chris fell to his knees yelling in pain. 

"Shhh," Lavinia said, as she fell down with him. "I've got you!"

She then turned to Hikaru, "Please! Go help Scotty and find my brother! They could be anywhere in this godforsaken place!" 

Hikaru nodded and ran out, as Jim grabbed the emergency first aid kit off the shelf. "We can put some gauze down to cover the wound," he said, opening the box. "We need to put pressure on the area too, that way he doesn't bleed out." 

"Vinia.." Chris gasped, clutching her hands with his own. "S-sorry." 

"Shhh," Lavinia shook her head. "Don't be sorry. You're going to be find, darling. Lenny's going to fix you right up and I'll take care of you, I promise." 

As she tried to comfort him, JIm tore at the shirt, exposing the bullet wound to the open air. Chris yelled out in pain, as Jim pressed the gauze pads down against it, making Lavinia jump in shock. 

"Shh, shh," she pressed her lips against his sweaty forehead. "Just breathe, okay? You're going to be fine, you're doing so good!" 

"I'm sorry, "Jim said, giving Chris a pained look, as he put pressure on the wound. "Where the fuck is Bones?!" 

"Dammit!" Leonard shouted, as he and Christine ran into the room, medical kits in hand. "What the fuck did you idiots do now?!" 

"There were too many of them!" Hikaru insisted, as he and Scotty followed. "We're lucky we even made it out alive!" 

Leonard moved the gauze pads, already soaked through with blood, and examined the wound. "Shit," he cursed, shaking his head. "We need to move him now! He's lost a lot of blood and I need to get a scan to see how deep this is." 

Jim nodded and beckoned Hikaru over, "Take his other side and help me get him to his feet," he said. "We need to move and we need to move fast." 

"Vin, you're gonna have to let him go," Leonard said, pulling out a fresh set of pads from his kit. 

When she didn't move right away, he spoke again, this time louder. "Lavinia, move it!" 

She shook her head, "No! I'm not leaving him!" she yelled, as Leonard grabbed her by the arm. "GET OFF ME!" 

Pushing her out of the way, Hikaru and Jim were able to get Chris up to his feet and practically dragged him out of the transporter room. 

"Get him on a bed as soon as you get in," Leonard ordered, following them. "And I hope you idiots are ready to give up some blood!" 

Lavinia watched as they disappeared through a haze of tears, unable to move. It wasn't until Scotty wrapped his arm around her shoulders, asking her if she was alright, to  make her realize how everything had suddenly changed in a single moment. 

...................

Jim stood in the doorway of the recovery room, watching the machines beep and hum as it read the stats of the man asleep in the bed. With a sigh, he shifted his posture and turned to look at the others as they sat around outside in the larger medical wing. 

"It was her?" Leonard asked, looking at Hikaru. "Are you  _sure?"_

Hikaru nodded, "It was her," he confirmed. "Shit, what are we going to do now?" 

"We call off the next few trios," Jim nodded. "It's getting too risky to just go out there now, especially if they're recruiting new people. And those who "retired" or were supposed to be dead." 

Scotty grumbled, "What we need ta do is make new identities!" he exclaimed. "We can't keep reusing them after so many times!" 

Leonard shook his head, "We need to fuckin' end this shit," he snapped. "Before someone gets killed! Chris is lucky to even be alive right now! Had that bullet been any closer to his chest or to his heart... we would be burying him in the woods right now." 

Jim glared at him, "Could you not?" he snapped. "Lavinia's in there with him now and if she hears you, you're going to be the one buried in the woods!" 

"I'll go check the data bases now and see what we've used the most," Pavel said, standing up. "I'll compose a list and we'll go from there, okay? Just.. try not to kill each other? It's been a long day and we need to keep it together." 

"I'll help," Hikaru said, standing up. "We've got a lot to go through and it's gonna take you ages if you do it alone." 

Christine placed her hand on Leonard's shoulder, "I'm gonna make some tea and coffee," she said, as Leonard reached up to place his hand upon hers. "And I'll make something for Lavinia and bring down some clothes. She's been sitting at his bedside for twelve hours and hasn't touched a thing." 

The doctor sighed and ran a hand across his face, "She's gotta come out sometime soon," he muttered. "The man needs his rest and I can't have her wastin' away to sit at his bed side." 

"Yeah, well.. good luck with that one," Jim shook his head. "She's not letting him out of her sight anytime soon. Can't say I blame her either."

..............

Chris felt the sharp twinge in his left shoulder, the pain radiating down to his wrist, as he came out of his drug induced coma. Groaning, he began to shift on the bed, when he felt a heavy presence against his right side. Slowly, he opened his eyes and blinked at his blurry surroundings. 

"Hmm," he groaned, turning his head to see what was up against him. "Hey.." 

He lifted his right hand up and pushed at the object next to him, groaning while doing so. The pain was unbearable and his entire body felt like it was weighted down with cinderblocks. Giving another shove, this one harder than the last, the object next to him began to move and make noise. 

"Chris?" 

He gritted his teeth, "V-vinnia?" he swallowed, his throat drier than a desert. 

She gasped, sitting up quickly, looking at him. "You're awake," she stated, moving closer to him. "How do you feel?" 

"Hurts," he slurred. "M'tired." 

"I'll get Len," she nodded, standing from her chair. "Don't move!" 

He watched as she ran to the door, shouting for the doctor in question. "Do you want something to drink? Lavinia asked, making her way back to his bedside. "Water?" 

He nodded, as she poured him a glass from the pitcher that sat on the table at the foot of the bed. "I'm going to lift you up a bit," she said, coming back to his side. "Don't move though, alright? I'll do all the work." 

Wrapping her arm around the back of his head, she carefully and slowly lifted him up enough, so that he could take a sip from the cup. "Slow sips," she said. "Easy, easy." 

The water felt good, as he slurped almost greedily. "Ah, I see you're awake," Leonard said, as he stepped into the room. "How ya feelin?" 

Lavinia handed him the glass and lowered Chris back down against the pillows, "Like shit," he mumbled. "W-what happened?" 

"You were shot," Leonard sighed, as he read his stats on the monitor next to the bed. "Bullet lodged itself into your shoulder and you were bleeding out like a hose left out on a lawn." 

"Nice," he mumbled, relaxing into the mattress, as Lavinia stroked his forehead with a cool hand. "Can I have something for the pain?" 

Leonard nodded, "You can," he said, moving to get a hypospray ready. "But don't get too hook, old man." 

As Leonard went to work, Lavinia leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I could have someone bring up a tray for you." 

Chris shook his head, "You should eat," he mumbled, finally taking in her appearance. "You have blood on your clothes." 

"I-I didn't realize," she shook her head, looking down at the dried splotches of blood on her once white shirt. "They carried you down here and you were in surgery so fast..." 

"Shh," he reached up to cup the side of her face with his good side. "It's okay. I'm okay, Vin." 

"You're more than okay," Leonard said, coming back with a loaded hypospray. "You're goddamn lucky, Chris." 

The older man simply nodded, "Hmmm, yell at me when I'm not in pain," he grumbled, as the doctor placed the loaded cartridge at his neck. 

Shaking his head, Leonard injected the painkiller into his bloodstream, "Should kick in soon," he nodded. "You should go eat and clean up," he nodded to Lavinia. 

"I'll go when I'm good and ready," Lavinia scowled, as she sat down next to Chris. 

"Vinnia!" Leonard snapped.

"Just..shhh," Chris hissed, his face twisting up in pain. "Let her stay, Len. She's keeping me company and making sure I don't croak." 

The young woman visibly paled at the comment, to which Leonard shook his head at the older man in the bed. "As soon as he falls asleep, I want you upstairs and in the shower." 

She nodded, unable to speak, as Leonard quickly left the room. Once the door was closed behind him, Lavinia turned to look at Chris. "I never want to hear you utter those words again," she hissed. 

"What words?" Chris asked, opening his eyes; the painkillers were kicking in, as he struggled to keep them open. 

"About dying," she shook her head. "Don't ever say them around me, Christopher."

Blinking through the haze, Chris finally took notice of the tears that filled her eyes and let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, baby," he shook his head, as she crumbled under the strain of exhaustion and fear. "C'mere." 

Laying out next to him, Lavinia laid her head on his uninjured shoulder. "I was so scared," she sobbed. "There was so much blood and I-I didn't know what to do." 

"Shhh," he tightened his hold on her waist. "I'm sorry for scaring you." 

"I stood out in the hall as Leonard did the surgery," she continued, gripping the front of the ratty old shirt they'd dressed him in. "I heard those machines going off and him screaming at Christine. For a moment there, they almost lost you.  _I_ almost lost you." 

Chris held her as tightly as she could, feeling the shudders that wracked her body. She suddenly pushed herself up on her elbow and looked down at him her eyes red and slightly puffy from crying. 

"I don't want you to leave me," she mumbled, blushing furiously. "It sounds silly, but I couldn't bear to lose you. Now I know what it feels like, especially when you lost me for all those months." 

"You won't lose me," he urged. "It'll take a hell of a lot more than stray bullets to take me out." 

She nodded, "You're banned from travel duty," she cleared her throat. "And you can't argue with me, because Leonard and the others agreed with me." 

Chris managed a smile, "I could use a vacation," he yawned. "Are you going to be my nurse?" 

"I wouldn't dare let anyone else take the job," Lavinia said, shaking her head. 

"Good thinking," Chris yawned again. "You're much prettier than Jim or Pavel." 

Lavinia snorted, "You're awful," she shook her head, as he chuckled lightly. Then she sobered up and sighed, reaching out to touch his face. "I'm going to take care of you." 

"I know," he said gently "Wouldn't have it any other way." 

They both stared at one another for a moment longer, before Chris yawned for the third time. "Stay with me?" he asked, struggling now to keep his eyes open. "Til I fall asleep?" 

"Of course," Lavinia nodded, moving to lay down. "We're going back upstairs tomorrow."  
  


"Hm, sounds good," he mumbled, as Lavinia pulled the heavy blanket up to cover him. "Love you." 

Lavinia leaned up and kissed his cheek, "I love you, too," she whispered. "Get some rest." 

 


	6. Chapter 6

After a twenty-four hour observation, Chris was finally released from medical and moved upstairs to the bedroom he shared with Lavinia. During the long hours he spent in medical, sleeping on the uncomfortable mattress and itchy blankets, Lavinia had kept herself busy. Their bed had been redressed with the softest sheets and the heaviest blankets that would no doubt, keep him warm. The pillows were fluffed up, as extras rested above the neatly made bed with them. 

 _"That way, when you sit up,"_ Lavinia said, as she and Leonard helped him into bed. " _You can rest your entire upper body against them."_

The items on his nightstand had been moved into the drawers, making it easier to keep the trays of hyposprays and the occasional glass of water or juice, to be placed upon. Now alone, Lavinia helped Chris with dinner, feeding him broth that Scotty had cooked up earlier that morning. 

"Make sure you eat something too," Chris warned her, as Lavinia administered the antibiotic after dinner. "Can't have you wasting away." 

"I'll eat after I'm done here with you," he insisted, as Chris laid his hand against her hip. "What kind of nurse would I be if I didn't tend to you?" 

He grinned, "A cruel and evil nurse," he asked, as she picked up another hypospray. "Another one?" 

Lavinia nodded, "When you're in excruciating pain, darling, your face gets three shades lighter than my own. And you're sweating." 

"How can I be sweating?" he frowned, as she placed the hypo against his neck, gently injecting the medication into him. "It's cold in here."

"You still have a  mild fever," she sighed, resting her hand against his damp forehead. "Right now, the heat is on and we dressed you in flannel. I'll put the spare quilt on top of this and hopefully you'll be fine." 

He groaned, "It's only until your fever breaks," Lavinia insisted. "Len will stop by before dinner to check on you again." 

"What are you going to do for the day?" he asked, as Lavinia stood up, pulling the blankets up to his chin. "Are you going to sit and watch me like a hawk?" 

She snorted, "I want to," she admitted, shaking the quilt out. "But I'm going to do some laundry and make a list for the market run tomorrow. Scotty said he would help me make chicken soup for you tomorrow." 

Chris managed a small smile, "Housewife in training?" he teased, as she blushed. 

"I'm the only one that insists on doing laundry everyday," she shook her head. "I don't know how you boys managed to survive all these years on the run." 

"Dreaming of pretty little ladies to do all the dirty work for us," he chuckled weakly, before letting out a groan. "You slipped a sedative in me, didn't you?" 

Lavinia winced, "I'm sorry, darling," she shook her head. "Len said it was necessary since you'll end up doing work in bed, which we cannot have. You need to rest and let the others work, alright?" 

"Traitor," he shook his head lightly, as she leaned down to kiss his cheek. "It's okay. I rather not see Len's angry.. face." 

She watched as he yawned widely, eyes struggling to stay open as the drugs ran through his bloodstream. "I'll come back to check on you later," she promised. "I'll leave your communicator under my pillow, that way if you need anything, it'll be close by." 

Chris grunted as he fell into unconsciousness, buried under the blankets. Collected the empty hyposprays, along with the bowl and spoon, Lavinia started towards the door. Taking one last look into the room, Lavinia turned the lights off and shut the door behind her. 

...................

Over the next few weeks, Lavinia played both nursemaid and loving girlfriend, as Chris recovered from his surgery. The wound was healing nicely, much to Leonard's delight and relief, clearing Chris for mild work in his office. As well as the first round of physical therapy. 

"Why do I have to do this?" Chris whined, as Lavinia helped him stretch the tense and sore shoulder. "It fucking hurts." 

"Because it's the only way you'll get better," she insisted, shaking her head at his consistent whining. "If you're a good boy and do four  more of these stretches, I'll give you a treat." 

He scowled, "I'm not a dog, Vinnia," he muttered, as she gently and slowly rotated his arm; up, around and down, the muscles flexing under her fingertips. 

She glared at him, "Do you want me to get Leonard?" she asked. "He's been dying to get his hands on you, since he cleared you for PT. And I assure you, his hands aren't going to be as gentle as mine are." 

"No," Chris shook his head quickly, wincing as the pain flared up his shoulder and across the back of his neck. "Just... easy, alright? I'm old as it is and certain things don't work like they used to." 

Lavinia smirked, "Could've fooled me," she shrugged. "Especially after last night." 

"How's our patient doing?" Leonard announced, as he came into the room, startling them both. "Oh god, please don't tell me you two were talking about something inappropriate!" 

"A lady never talks out of line!" Lavinia gasped, as Chris snorted. "I was just telling Christopher here, how much you wanted to get your hands on him. The threat along stopped his crying and moaning over doing PT." 

Leonard snickered and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "A true McCoy," he shook his head. "You'd make for a great physician's assistant, Vin. I could use the extra help down here for when these idiots get sick or injured." 

"Which is what you have Christine f- OW!" Chris shouted, falling forward. "DAMMIT!" 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Lavinia exclaimed, holding him still on the gurney. "Shhhh, just breathe. Len, get me that hypo on the tray! The painkiller!" 

Quickly grabbing the hypospray, Leonard yanked the cap off and pressed the needle to Chris's neck, injecting the painkiller into him. 

"Easy, old man," he said. "Should kick in any second now." 

The heavy breathing and groaning stopped slowly, as the pain ebbed and the exhaustion kicked in. Still hunched over, Chris kept his forehead against Lavinia's shoulder, as she help him still and steady. 

"I think that's enough for today," she said, as Chris whimpered. "Let's get you back into bed and I'll get you something to eat." 

With Leonard's help, they got Chris off the gurney, as Lavinia wrapped her arm around his waist. 

"Vinnia," he whined, as she walked him to the door. 

Leonard watched, as his sister steadied the man who was twice her size, walking him towards the doorway. "Shhh," she urged, as they walked. "The quicker we move, the quicker you can lay in bed." 

"Don't work with McCoy," he begged, as they stepped out into the hallway. "You'll turn into a mean, hypo-wielding woman and I won't like that very much." 

Leonard snorted, "Infant," he muttered, clearing up the mess on the tray

....................

"You make sure to keep your asses in sight of one another," Leonard warned, as the trio stood before him. "And if any of you come back with a scratch, you'll be given a routine prostate exam." 

Pavel flinched and shook his head, "WE'll be good!" he exclaimed. "Promise!" 

Jim snorted, "Bones, if you keep stressing like this, you'll give yourself a heart attack!" he shook his head. "Relax! We'll be fine!" 

"We'll be fine," Leonard mimicked. "How many times have I heard that before and ya'll come back looking like death?" 

HIkaru snorted, "Let's get going before we lose this opportunity!" he insisted. "We have three hours to get this done!" 

Sitting at the controls, Lavinia and Scotty watched with amusement as Leonard gave out his threats. 

"Alrighty!" Scotty nodded, tapping at the controls. "Bring back a souvenir, eh? Ah've never been to Paris, circa 1970!" 

"Have fun, boys!" Lavinia waved to them. "Bring me back something pretty, Jim! You owe me for doing your laundry!" 

He grinned at her, "Sure thing, dollface," he winked, blowing her a kiss. "Don't miss us too much!" 

Once the three of them left, in a blur of white lights, Lavinia shook her head and stood up. "Well, I'm off," she nodded. "I need to finish the rest of the laundry and I'm going to take a nap." 

"Are yeh still coming down to the library later?" Scotty asked, as he sat back in his seat. 

"Of course!" she nodded. "I wouldn't miss our routine engineering lesson!" 

Scotty grinned, "Ah'll bring the scotch and biscuits! Bring yer questions and that PADD with the lessons Ah gave yeh!" 

She nodded as Leonard made his way over to them, "Make sure the old man is sleeping," he warned, as Lavinia started towards the door. "If he's got a PADD in his hands and it's not for leisure reading, I'm sedating him!" 

"You'll do no such thing, Leonard McCoy!" she scowled. "You leave him alone!" 

Scotty chuckled as Leonard cursed, "See ya later, lass!" he waved to her, as she stepped into the hall. "Oi! Since yer not too busy and Ah can't leave... can yeh get me a sandwich?" 

"DO I LOOK LIKE YOUR GODDAMN MAID, SCOTTY?!" Leonard shouted, as Lavinia started up the stairs.

"Ah don't know," Scotty replied. "Ah can get yeh a costume and a feather duster if yeh want." 

Lavinia nearly tripped up the steps, snorting as Leonard began to should and curse at the man. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Lavinia found herself sitting at the kitchen table, wolfing down almost three-thousand calories for breakfast. While the others paid no attention to it, eating just as much, it was Scotty who sat with a frown on his face; eating at a slower rate, he watched as she ate the chocolate chip pancakes, two helpings of bacon and three biscuits. 

Afterwards, with Hikaru and Pavel on dish duty, Scotty followed Lavinia down the hall towards the living room.

"Yeh want to do some engineering lessons, lassie?" he asked, as she sat down on the sofa. 

"Sure," she nodded, reaching for the PADD on the coffee table. "I did a few last night after dinner, but it was getting late and Chris was complaining about the light keeping him awake." 

He took the PADD from her, " No worries," he said, thumbing through the assignments he'd given to her. "As long as yer taking yer time with them...." 

Halfway through, going over the questions that were wrong, Lavinia shot up off the sofa and darted down the hallway to the bathroom. 

"I'm alright," Lavinia said, as Scotty handed her a towel. "Just.. I just ate too much, is all." 

Closing the bathroom door, Scotty watched as she stood from the crouched position in front of the toilet bowl, moving to rinse her mouth out with water. 

"Yeh look like shite," he stated. 

"Thanks," she snorted. "You sure know how to make a girl feel pretty, Scotty." 

He shook his head, "I'm fine," she started, before he cut her off. 

"No, yer not," he said, firmly. "Yeh ate an entire day's worth of calorie intake, Lavinia. Ah'm surprised that the good doctor didn't say a word to yeh." 

Lavinia set the towel down on the counter, "Yer as white as a ghost and yer shirt is glued to yeh," he continued. "Not only did yeh eat a lot for breakfast, but yeh did the same last night. And, not to be a bastard, but yeh've been smellin' like rotten food lately." 

"I have?" Lavinia asked, surprised and startled at the news. 

"Well, when yeh leave the bathroom," Scotty said. "And it's usually after we all eat together." 

"It's just nerves, is all," she shrugged, trying to play cool. "With Chris and everything since he got shot." 

He shook his head, "Are yeh in the family way, Laivnia?" he asked. 

She frowned, "The what?" she asked, as he scoffed. 

"Are yeh pregnant?" 

Lavinia's eyes went wide with shock, making Scotty curse. "Ah know Ah have no right to ask.." he started, as she shoo k her head. 

"I honestly don't know," she said, trying to remember when she last used the box of tampons that were currently under the sink in her bathroom. 'Oh god..." 

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, lassie," Scotty said, softer this time. "It's not like yer not in a relationship and hopping from bed to bed." 

Lavinia looked at him, unable to speak. "Ah'll go see if we have any tests in medical," Scotty sighed. "Don't move." 

..................

An hour later, Lavinia stood alone in the bathroom; the one she shared with Chris. On the counter, laid six plastic sticks in a row, all showing the same results. 

Twenty minutes earlier, Scotty stood in the doorway of that bathroom, watching as Lavinia looked at all six of those sticks; her face going from shock to devastation as she stared at them. Giving her some space, he told her that her secret was safe with him. 

" _No matter what yeh decide, Ah'm here for yeh, Lavinia,"_ he said, as she looked at him. 

Thanking him for his help and simply being there as a friend, Lavinia watched as he left her bedroom, before taking it all in. Looking up at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. No longer did she look like her former self, immaculate and put together. Her red hair laid limp down her back and the circles under her eyes, were in a shocking shade of purple. Her once porcelain like skin was now clammy and nearly grey, as the lack of sleep and the violent vomiting attack earlier, wracked her entire body. 

If only her Mother could see her now; nails broke and her hair out of place, as parts of her body filled out from the unhealthy eating and drinking everything that wasn't champagne or wine. The Lavinia staring back at her was unrecognizable, compared to the Lavinia circa nineteen-twelve. 

Looking down that the six plastic sticks, each one reading the same result, the young woman sighed as her eyes filled with tears. Without thinking, her hand came to rest upon her belly and for a moment she wore she could feel the tiny heartbeat within her. Then, as she glanced back up at her reflection, Lavinia allowed herself to cry for the first time since the idea of even being pregnant was brought up. 

From the counter, the six pink positive signs stared up at her, almost mocking her for being careless towards the situation that she was now in. Twenty years old and pregnant by a man, much older than herself. A girl out of time, in hiding against an organization that wanted the man she loved and her family dead. And now, as a new life grew within her, there was no doubt in her mind that she would join the death toll as well. Once Starfleet learned of her existence, along with the child's, and their connection to Chris; the reward for their blood would be just as high as Chris's. 

Not only did she have to worry about Chris and the others, but now she would have worry about her child.  _Their_ child. Now, as Lavinia stood before the mirror with her hand on her belly, the stakes were much higher than before. 

.....................

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Chris asked, as Lavinia sat on the recliner. "You look a little... off."   
  
She smiled and nodded at him, "Just tired," she said, which was only half the truth. "I see you're planning to shave." 

Chris looked down at the can of shaving cream and the new razor in his hands. "Yes," he nodded. "I looked in the mirror and could barely recognize myself." 

_How funny of you to say that, since I barely recognize myself these days._

Lavinia pushed the thought to the back of her head, "How about I draw a bath and watch you?" she suggested. "I think a bubble bath might must help." 

"Is that so?" he asked, as she stood up from the recliner. 

"You can join me afterwards," Lavinia said, looking back at him. "And leave a little bit of stubble, Chris." 

With the bath filling up, Lavinia grabbed some clothes for herself and Chris, setting them down on the counter. Adding some bath bubbles, Lavinia stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the tub, sighing as the hot water worked it's magic on her aching muscles. 

Once Chris finished shaving, leaving some stubble behind as requested, he stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the bathtub with her. 

"I think tomorrow some of the guys want to head into town," he said, taking her left foot into his hand. "Do you want to go? We can get some things at the outdoor market. Or pick up whatever we're running low on." 

"We can do that," Lavinia sighed, as he pressed his thumbs into the bottom of her foot. "Running low on shampoo and I need a different brush." 

He nodded, "What about your tampons?" he asked, startling her with the question. "There's two boxes under the sink and half a package of napkins left." 

Lavinia nodded, "I'll probably get a small package of napkins," she shrugged. "Later, I'll take a look and see what we're running low on." 

Lazing about in the tub, Lavinia sank deeper under the frothy water, sighing deeply as Chris moved his hands from her foot, up her calf to her knee. "You're getting wrinkly," he noted, observing her toes. 

""Does that mean we have to get out?" Lavinia pouted, as Chris pulled the plug out of the drain. 

"Water's getting cold," he said, grabbing the bath hose. "Let's get you dried off and into bed. Maybe a hot cup of tea will do you some good and a nice night's worth of sleep." 

Helping her out of the tub, Chris wrapped her up in a oversized towel. "Yeah," she said, as he kissed her forehead."Maybe." 

................

The outdoor marketplace was some five miles from their hideaway; thanks to the lovely security system that had been updated by Scotty, their home was nothing but trees.

Heavily disguised, Chris and Lavinia walked hand in hand, following Jim and Pavel through the crowds and shopping stands. 

"How about we look for food," Jim said, as they stood off to the side. "You guys head into the main shop to get all the toiletries and what not." 

Swapping lists, Chris and Lavinia went off to the shop, while Jim and Pavel went to get the fresh produce and bread from the market stalls. Grabbing baskets by the entrance, they weaved their way through the early morning crowds and started searching for all they needed. Body washes, shampoos, razors. Anything and everything that six men and two women would need, to get through the next month and a half. 

"I think that should do it," Chris said, dropping the box of toothpaste into his basket. "Do you have everything?" 

Marking things off with a pen, Lavinia quickly counted everything again, before nodding. "Thank god Pavel wrote this list this time. He put the quantity needed and everyone's name, that way we wouldn't forget a thing." 

"Well, hopefully they won't forget the milk this time," Chris said, as they started for the check out. "Hopefully they're all done, because it'll be after noon by the time we get out." 

Once they finally reached the checkout lane, unloading their baskets, they quickly bagged everything as it was rung up. Paying in cash, Chris took the change and thanked the woman, before taking a few bags off the end of the register. Holding her own, Lavinia walked in front of him, out of the store and into the busy crowd of the marketplace. Heading back the way they came, they waited for Pavel and Jim to appear, while keeping out of the way. 

"Guys!" Pavel waved, as he lugged a bag over his shoulder. "C'mon man!" 

With Jim behind him, lugging two bags over each shoulder, they bounded over to Chris and Lavinia; both wearing grins on their faces. 

"I take it shopping was good?" Chris asked, as they stood before them. 

"The hottest chick had the hots for Pavel here," Jim started. "Gave us  _four_ loaves of fresh bread for nothing." 

Lavinia rolled her eyes, while Chris shook his head. "Did you get everything?" he asked. "And I mean, everything, this time." 

Jim nodded, "Don't worry, I got the milk this time," he snorted. "Do you really Mrs. Bones to come and kill me?" 

"Can we go?" Lavinia whined, wiping the sweat off her brow. "It's getting late and I really want to get home now." 

"We can go," Chris nodded, picking up the bags that sat by her feet. "Let's go, children," he said, nodding his head towards Jim and Pavel. "You two have chores and some work to do anyways." 

Heading back up the road, away from the chaos with the townspeople and tourists, they made sure to slip away without anyone noticing. Once they cleared the censors, radioing in to Scotty that they were coming back, they began their trek through the small patch of woods that led up to the backdoor of the house. Dark clouds followed them, looming over the woods and moving fast. 

"Good thing we left when we did," Pavel noted, as the first rumble of thunder sounded. "Otherwise, carrying all this in a downpour would've sucked." 

Tapping three times on the backdoor, Chris stepped back as the curtain was pulled to the side, exposing Hikaru's face to them. Dropping the curtain, he unlocked the door and pulled it open, stepping aside to let them in. 

"Bad storm coming through," he said, as they spilled into the kitchen, dropping the bags onto the table. "Scotty's rewiring everything to the generator, that way the security system doesn't go out on us." 

"Can that happen?" Lavinia asked, as she unloaded a bag. "Could it go down and expose the entire house to the townspeople?" 

Hikaru shrugged, "Not sure," he admitted. "I hope it doesn't. Christine would know more, as would Scotty, since they know more about the people who own the place and the system that's been set up." 

Setting the perishables into the refrigerator, Chris made his way to the backdoor and looked outside. "I'll go find out," he said, as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. "Just...be cautious. Have everyone come to the living room to ride out the storm. Pavel, you and JIm head down to Scotty and watch the feeds, just in case. He could use extra eyes on everything, just until the storm blows through." 

They both nodded and headed off, leaving Hikaru and Lavinia behind with him. Turning, Chris saw the worry on Lavinia's face and made his way over to her. "Don't worry," he said, kissing her forehead. "I highly doubt the system will crash. Besides, Scotty set it up so that the lights in the house were on a separate line from everything else. If the power goes out in here, it won't matter too much." 

"But the computers..." she started. 

"Are on the same system as the security one," he finished. "The perks of cloaking technology and having Montgomery Scott's magic on hand." 

Nodding, despite being uneasy, Lavinia grabbed the bottles of shampoo and soap that were hers. "I'm going to wash up and read for a little while," she said, as the rain began to fall. "Make sure the others get their things." 

Chris nodded, "Shower and bring your book downstairs," he said, as she started for the hallway. "I'll find some blankets for you and a flashlight." 

"Sounds good," Lavinia said, giving him a small smile. "I'll be down in a little bit." 

Standing under the hot spray of the shower head, five minutes later, Lavinia was slightly queasy at the thought of being discovered. Of their perfect little slice of paradise being found, after working so hard to keep it hidden. 


	8. Chapter 8

In the days that followed the shocking results of her pregnancy test, Lavinia felt the full effect of it; the vomiting that lasted all day, making it difficult to eat more than a few bites of toast. The aches and pains that wracked her body, leaving her bed ridden for most of the day.

Chris grew frantic as she quietly slipped from their bed, trying to be subtle when it came to the vomiting. In the middle of the night, the bed would quake and she would dash across the room, throwing herself into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind her with a firm click, Chris would open his eyes and listen as the water went on in the sink, followed by the retching.

He was in no condition to throw her over his shoulder and carry her down to medical, his shoulder weak from surgery and physical therapy. But watching as she slept all day, growing paler and paler and refusing to eat anything, made him worry. Not wanting to break her trust, he avoided bringing McCoy into their rooms. The last thing he needed, was for the doctor to scream and rant at her and at him. So when she didn't join him for dinner or to watch a movie in the lounge, he simply brushed off everyone's concerns and told them an array of lies.

_"She's reading some ancient tomb and refused to put it down…"_

_"Re-arranging our closet again," the usual, half-hearted shrug._

_"Something she found on the net."_

_"Guys, just give it a rest! The poor girl has to deal with me all day and with you wild animals!"_

But by the end of the week, he had enough. "Okay," he sighed, coming out of the bathroom after a hot shower. "You've been in bed everyday for the last week. What's going on with you?"

Lavinia looked over at him, the blankets pulled up to her chin. " M'tired," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

Chris tossed the damp towel into the bathroom and made his way over to the bed, sitting down on his side to look at her. "You're overtired, my dear," he shook his head, pulling at the blankets. "You need to get up, take a shower and go down to medical. You've been sick all week.."

Her eyes flew open and he nodded, "I hear you in the middle of the night, Vinnia. The water can only block out so much, but not the sound of violently throwing up."

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. "Sweetheart, what's going on?" he asked, reaching out to lay his hand across her forehead. "If you're sick, then you need to see Leonard. Your immune system is still weak from the last time you were sick."

"It's nothing that he can't cure" she mumbled, sitting up slowly. "Trust me, I know."

"What do you mean, he can't cure it?" he asked, frowning. "Do you already know what's wrong with you?"

Lavinia nodded, "A- Is it serious?" Chris asked, as she looked down at her hands. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

She looked up at him, earning a nod of encouragement from him, before moving to pull the side drawer of the nightstand open. Rifling around, Lavinia finally found what she was looking for and pulled it out. "What's that?" he asked, nodding to the wrapped up bundle in her hands.

Lavinia released the rolled up paper towels, allowing the six test applicators to clatter onto the comforter between them. She then dropped the paper towel next to them, and watched as he picked up the first of the six tests.

"These…these are pregnancy tests," he stated, turning them all over. "And they're all positive."

When she didn't respond, he looked up at her. "When did you find out?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Six days ago," she whispered, looking down at the tests. "I..I'm sorry."

Chris looked up from the test in his hands and shook his head, "Sorry?" he asked, as she nodded. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because," Lavinia shrugged, "We're not married and we're on the run from Starfleet."

"This isn't.." he started, before she shook her head.

"Do you realize what would happen if this came out?" she asked. "If those people knew that I was here and carrying your child, they'll stop and nothing to take us. They'll use me and our child as a bait, to lure you and the others into a trap."

Chris dropped the stick and grabbed her shoulders lightly, "Hey, hey.." he said soothingly as she shook her head. "No one is going to take you away from me."

"You don't know that," Lavinia said weakly, as her eyes filled with tears. "You don't know what they'll do, Chris."

"We've given no indication that we exist out here," he said, as she groaned in protest. "Lavinia, we're safer here than anywhere else at the moment."

Lavinia looked up at him, "What do you want me to do with the baby?"

Chris frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Do you think it's wise to have it?" she chewed on her bottom lip. "Does Leonard even know how to deliver a baby? Do any of you know how to?"

"Vin, I'm sure we can handle delivering a baby," he nodded. "Sweetheart, what do you want to do? No matter what I want and think, this is your body we're talking about."

She looked away, "I want to keep it," she said quietly, waiting for him to react poorly to her statement. "But if you want me to get rid of it, I will."

Chris startled her when he carefully pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands pushing up the nightgown she wore to bed. Warm hands settled on her flat belly, relaxing her immediately as her heart raced and her stomach rolled.

"I want this baby," he whispered, kissing the side of her head. "I want to marry you and I want a family with you, Lavinia. Do what we should've done all those years ago, in a different time."

"What about Starfleet?" she asked, as one hand moved from her belly to caress her face. "How can we have a family if they want you dead?"

"We're going to stop them," he nodded. "Now, we're going to work harder to find those bastards and clear our names. When it's all over, we'll go wherever you want and put it all behind us."

Lavinia wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his throat. "I don't want to tell the others yet," she mumbled. "Only Scotty knows, because he found me in the bathroom and knew where the tests were." She looked up at him, "He swore on his fancy Scotch collection that he wouldn't tell anyone."

"I trust him," Chris nodded, pushing her unwashed hair away from her forehead. "I love you so much, Lavinia."

"I love you, too," she whispered, her face crumpling as she began to sob. "I just wish we did this the right way."

He held her as she cried, soaking the front of his shirt with tears, while soothing her with words and touches. "Shhhh," he kissed her forehead. "How about a hot bath? It'll make you feel better, especially since you've stayed in bed all week long."

Lavinia blushed, embarrassed at how quickly she let herself go in such a short period of time. "I'll let you soak for a while in there and I'll bring up a pot of tea and some soup."

"M'not hungry," she mumbled, burying her face into his un-wounded shoulder.

"You need to eat something," Chris sighed. "Not only for yourself, but for the baby. I'll steal one of the tricorders from medical without Len knowing and we'll run a bunch of tests up here to see how far along you are and what not."

He leaned back, looking down at her. "Okay?" he asked, stroking the back of her head. "Come on, Vin. Up and at 'em."

"I'll only do it if you put extra bubbles in the bath this time," she mumbled, trying to hide her smile.

"Extra bubbles and whatever else you want," Chris chuckled. "I even took the fluffier towels from the laundry room, since Jim's been hogging them for months."

They climbed out of bed slowly, shuffling across the room into the bathroom. Chris moved to the tub and turned the taps on, putting the drain stopper in so that the water would fill up. Grabbing the bottle of bubbles that was stashed in the hall closet, he poured a decent amount it, before setting it back on the counter.

"I'll set some clothes out on the bed for you," he said, as she moved closer to the tub. "Take all the time you want in here to relax."

Lavinia nodded, accepting the gentle kiss against her lips. "Don't go too crazy with the soup," she warned. "The idea of eating is hard enough."

He chuckled, "I'll make sure to keep it tame," he promised, reaching back to turn the taps off. "Go on and get in before it gets too cold. I'll be back shortly with everything."

With one more quick kiss, he left her to undress in privacy, dropping the dirty clothes into a pile on the floor. Starting towards the dresser, Chris pulled out a clean pair of pajama bottoms that belonged to him, along with a long-sleeved top. From another drawer, he managed to find a proper pair of panties from the pile of lace and satin. Setting everything down onto the bed, he quickly made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the staircase.

All he could think about, as he took the trip to medical, was the baby. Having a family was an opportunity that had long passed him, when he started his career in Starfleet. Then, when everything hit the fan and forced him into hiding, Chris put that dream behind him and grew to accept the fact that it would never happen. But in the two years since Lavinia came into his life, it started to appear again. Faint at first, considering the fact that she was a much younger woman and from another time; set to marry another Christopher Pike, who may or may not've been him.

As the months went on, especially after her disappearance and breakup with Hikaru, Chris forced his desires back into that dark place. The fear of losing her again so quickly kept him on the edge, because no one every got lucky twice. But in the last several months, as their relationship went from simple "courting" to sexual, the desire to marry and have a family hit him like a mack truck. And now, it was becoming a reality. The woman that he loved with every fiber of his being, was indeed pregnant with their child. Granted, it made the bounty for his capture higher now, but at that moment all he could think about was the positives.

The chance for a new start. A new life, in which Starfleet didn't exist and they were just two people living in the present. A chance to raise children in the country, in a big house with a garden and horses. To sit on the porch with tea and lemonade, while the children ran about with happiness; the innocence that came with children, not having to worry about hiding from dangerous men and women. Unlocking the cabinet with the tricorders, Chris quickly grabbed one and shoved it into the waistband of his pants, before closing the doors again.

While he wanted to tell everyone about the newest addition that would come in nine months, he also wanted to respect Lavinia's wishes. They needed to make a plan not only for the baby, but for the possibility of another raid. Locking up, Chris quickly left medical and headed towards the kitchens. As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Jim at the counter with a steaming cup in one hand and a PADD in the other.

"Well, if it isn't our Lord and Savior," he grinned, earning an eye roll from Chris. "How's the Lady of the house?"

"She's taking a bath," Chris said, grabbing the teakettle off the stove. "She's feeling a bit under the weather at the moment, so I offered to come down and make her some tea and soup."

Jim nodded, "Poor thing," he sighed. "I'm going to see if we have any vitamin boosters left in storage. Her immune system is probably all wonky since she first arrived and ever since she came back from her disappearance."

Chris nodded, " I'll see what Bones is up to," Jim said, standing up with his mug and PADD. "You'd think he'd be working on shit like this for his own sister!"

"Leonard's too busy making sure you don't get yourselves killed," Chris said, as he set the tea kettle onto the burner. "But if you find enough boosters, let me know. And tell him to make inventory of every hypo he's got, along with supplies. If we're running low, then we'll have to send some of you out into the towns to get supplies."

"Sounds god, boss man," Jim said, saluting him. "If she's up to it, Pavel's got some crazy Russian picture he found. Scotty and I are gonna join him later to watch it in the lounge."

The older man nodded, "I'll see how she feels after she eats and takes a nap," he nodded. "Try not to get in trouble, Jim. I'm still on medical leave and I cannot drag your ass across this place."

Jim laughed, "I'll try my best," he said. "Give Lavinia a hug for me and tell her that I miss her dearly. Our Mother hen."

Chris snorted as Jim made his way out, grabbing a can of soup from the cabinet. "Mother hen…" he muttered, shaking his head.

...........................

"According to this, you're roughly seven weeks," Chris said, looking down at the PADD. "If we had a real sonogram machine, I would be able to show you exactly what the baby looked like right now." 

Lavinia sighed, her hand resting upon her still flat stomach. "It's so weird," she said, as Chris read the rest of the information that transmitted from the tricorder scans. "There's an actual child growing within me." 

He looked over at her, smiling. "Crazy, huh?" he asked, as she nodded. "We'll just have to keep a close eye on you and the baby. Eventually, we'll have to tell the others." 

"But..." 

"Leonard at least," Chris said, placing his hand upon the one that rested on her belly. "Christine, too. She's a nurse. They've both done their training in maternity wards, before joining Starfleet. If anything, they'll know the basics of what to look out for and what tests you'll need." 

She nodded, "I want to wait," she said. "Aren't most women supposed to wait after a period of time?" 

Chris nodded, "Twelve weeks is usually what an obstetrician would say," he admitted. "Though, complications can occur at anytime during a pregnancy..." 

Lavinia paled at the thought, "Oh, no," Chris said quickly. "Lavinia, I'm going to make sure you have a healthy and safe pregnancy. Nothing will happen to you and the baby, not on my watch. Not on anyone's watch, okay?" 

"Okay," she nodded, as he moved to lay down next to her. 

"In six months," he started, wrapping his arm around her waist. "We'll have a healthy and beautiful baby." 

She rolled onto her side to face him, "What about everything else?" she asked. "What about Starfleet? How will we raise a baby, while being on the run?" 

Chris pushed her hair away from her face, "By then, Starfleet will be part of the past and we'll find somewhere to call home," he said.

"And what if..." Lavinia stopped for a second. "What if something happens and I get pulled back to 1912?" 

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, pulling her closer to his chest. "Then I'm going back with you."

 


End file.
